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The Psychological Center

The Psychological Center at The City College of New York (CCNY), also known as “the Clinic,” opened in 1969. The Clinic provides low-to-moderate-cost services to the CCNY and West Harlem communities. The Clinic is also the primary practicum site for doctoral students in the Ph.D. Program in Clinical Psychology and led by Director, Dr. Diana Puñales-Morejon, Associate Director, Dr. Sasha Rudenstine, and Assistant Director, Dr. Leo Cancelmo.

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300+

Patients Served Annually

60+

Therapists

100+

Supervisors

75+

Comprehensive Neuropscyholgoical Assessments Completed Annually

The Psychological Center’s mission is to make high-quality psychodynamic therapy, evidence-based treatments, and psychological/neuropsychological testing more accessible by providing sliding scale-services based on financial need in a community setting.

Since it was established in 1969, The Psychological Center has provided a range of psychological services to more than 300 patients per year, serving a diverse patient population.

✓ Patients come from all 5 boroughs of New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Long Island.

✓ Around 50% of patients identify as female, 40% as male, and 10% as nonbinary.

✓ About 30% identify as having a minoritized sexual orientation.

✓ Over 90% of the patient population identify as being BIPOC and belonging to a minority group

✓ Approximately 33% of the patients are children and adolescents

Students have opportunities to provide clinical intervention using psychodynamic and other evidence supported treatments such as cognitive, cognitive behavioral, integrative, dialectical behavior therapy, transference focused psychotherapy, alliance focused psychotherapy, and emotion focused therapy. While in residency, students also gain experience in short-term crisis intervention, consultation and supervision, extensive psychological intakes/evaluations, and psychological and neuropsychological testing. All students treat patients across the lifespan, from childhood through adulthood.

Our clinic adheres to a Community Psychology Model that goes beyond the individual and integrates social, cultural, economic, political, environmental, and international influences to promote positive change, growth, health, and empowerment at individual and systemic levels.

During their on-site training at The Psychological Center, students receive one hour of weekly supervision for each patient in the their first two years of training. Supervision is conducted by licensed, Ph.D. clinical psychologists. Students in year 3 receive one hour of supervision for either every patient and/or every two patients. Students in years 4-5 typically receive one hour of supervision for every 2 patients or participate in supervision groups with 1-2 other students and a licensed psychologist. Such intensive supervision across 4+ years broadens students exposure to a range of treatment modalities and clinical interventions as well as provides depth of learning about clinical process, personality development, and psychopathology.